Peru plans to introduce a registration system to regulate informal miners.

The Peruvian government plans to establish a new permitting mechanism for informal miners, giving them two years to meet compliance requirements. This copper-rich country is facing a rampant problem of illegal mining. A spokesperson for the Ministry of Energy and Mines said the ministry will submit the relevant proposal to Congress this week, and the new mechanism is intended to regulate artisanal and small-scale mining activities. The proposal aims to legalize the status of approximately 30,000 miners by the end of 2028, replacing the current Comprehensive Mining Registry system, Reinfo. Industry figures believe the Reinfo system has been used to shield illegal mining activities, and the system will expire at the end of this year. Peru is home to several of the world's largest copper mines and is also South America's largest gold producer.